JP3264094B2 - Vending machine control device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine which cools and sells sales products such as canned beverages, and more particularly to a vending machine which cools a product storage room with a cooler when sales products are replenished. It relates to a control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional vending machine which cools and sells sales products, sales products stored in any of a plurality of product storage rooms are sold out and when the sales products are replenished. Also, after the replenishment work is completed, the operator detects the temperature of the product storage room as in normal sales, for example,
The cooler is operated by the thermostat ON / OFF signal.
The replenished sales product was cooled by the cooling control method of stopping.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional method, since a plurality of product storage rooms are all cooled evenly, it is difficult for the refilled product to reach a temperature suitable for sale (hereinafter also referred to as an appropriate temperature). There is a problem that it takes a long time,
Also, because the time to reach the appropriate temperature is unclear,
There was also a problem that the customer who purchased the sale product that did not reach the appropriate temperature was uncomfortable.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine control device which solves the above problems.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vending machine for cooling a product storage room in which a product to be sold is stored with a cooler. Temperature detecting means for detecting, a cooling rate calculating means for calculating and storing a cooling rate per time by the temperature detecting means, a stored value of the cooling rate calculating means, a predetermined cooling set temperature, and the temperature detecting means. The cooling time calculating means for calculating the cooling time based on the output, and display means for displaying the output of the cooling time calculating means.

In a second aspect of the present invention, in a vending machine in which a product storage room in which sales products are stored is cooled by a cooler, one of a plurality of product storage rooms is selected, and priority is given to other product storage rooms. Priority instructing means for instructing cooling, priority cooling means for preferentially cooling the selected commodity storage room to a predetermined cooling temperature based on the output of the priority instructing means,
Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the selected product storage room; cooling rate calculating means for calculating and storing a cooling rate per time by the temperature detecting means; and a storage value of the cooling rate calculating means being predetermined. Cooling time calculating means for calculating a cooling time based on the set cooling temperature and the output of the temperature detecting means, display means for displaying the output of the cooling time calculating means, and the other product in which the priority cooling means is operating. Cooling control means for controlling the cooling of the storage chamber.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the merchandise is refilled, the cooling rate of the merchandise storage room is calculated and stored, so that the time until the temperature reaches an appropriate temperature can be calculated and displayed.

In the second invention, the product storage room in which the refilled sales products are stored is preferentially cooled, so that the time required to reach the appropriate temperature can be shortened, and the time required to reach the appropriate temperature can be displayed. The above-mentioned cooling control of the product storage room can also be performed.

[0009]

1 is a block diagram of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numerals 1 to 3 denote product storage rooms (1) to (3) for storing sales products, and 4 denotes a motor compressor and a condenser. Condensing unit for refrigerators
Evaporator 7 for cooling the commodities, V ₁ ~V ₆ supplies a refrigerant from the condensing unit 4, as shown in the evaporator 5-7 valve, 8-10 commodity storage chamber (1) to (3) Thermistor for detecting the temperature of the vending machine, 11 is a control circuit, and 11a is a CP for controlling and calculating a vending machine.
U, 11b and 11c are ROM and RAM as memories,
11d is a timer for measuring time, 11e is an interface between the control circuit and an external device, 12 is a setting device for inputting a set temperature or the like for cooling, and 13 is a product storage room (1) to (3). The selection switch 14 is a display for displaying the operation state.

In FIG. 1, of the valves V _{1 to} V ₆ ,
V ₁ , V ₃ , V ₅ are called normal valves and are opened during normal operation or operation by cooling control means, and V ₂ , V ₄ ,
V ₆ is referred to as priority valve, and Akeraru ones during operation in priority cooling means, the diameter of the priority valve, so that it is cooled with priority made larger than the diameter of the normal valve.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the priority cooling means and the cooling control means of the vending machine shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, when replenishing the sales product, first,
The operation is started once in normal operation (step S1), and the product storage rooms (x) and (x = 1, 2, 3) in which the sold products are refilled are set by the selection switch 13 (step S1).
2, branch Y), close the normal valve of the product storage room (x),
The priority valve is opened to switch to the priority cooling mode for cooling (step S3), and the normal valves of the product storage rooms other than the product storage room (x) are closed to interrupt the cooling (step S4).

Next, in step S5, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the product storage room (x) in the priority cooling mode has reached the appropriate temperature set by the setting unit 12, for detecting the temperature of the product storage room (x). 8 to 10) (step S5), and if the temperature reaches the appropriate temperature (step S5, branch Y), the priority valve is closed to cancel the priority cooling mode of the product storage room (x) (step S5). Step S
6), the normal valves of the product storage rooms 1 to 3 are opened (step S7), and the normal operation is started.

If the temperature of the product storage room (x) has not reached in step S5 (step S5, branch N), the temperatures of the product storage rooms other than the product storage room (x) are set to the upper limit temperature set by the setting unit 12. Thermistors 8 to 10
Is checked (step S8), and if the temperature exceeds the upper limit temperature (step S8, branch Y), the corresponding product storage room is set to the cooling control mode, and the normal valve of the product storage room is turned on. Open and cool (step S9), continue cooling until the set temperature set by the setter 12 is reached, and when the set temperature is reached, release the cooling control mode and close the normal valve (step S1).
0), the process returns to step S5, and the priority cooling mode is continued until the temperature of the product storage room (x) becomes appropriate.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the cooling rate calculating means and the cooling time calculating means of the vending machine shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, when the sales product is replenished, the selection switch 13 sets the product storage room (x), (x = 1, 2, 3) in which the sales product is replenished (step S1).
1, branch Y), the room temperature of the product storage room (x) is detected by any of the thermistors 8 to 10 (step S12), and the RAM 11 is set via the setting unit 12;
c, the temperature change rate as the cooling rate per hour is set to zero, that is, the seasonal change,
When it is necessary to calculate the temperature change rate again due to a change in the sale product (step S13, branch Y), the temperature detected in step S12 is T ₀ , the time at this time is t ₀ , and the time from time t ₀ Assuming that the time after 5 minutes is t ₁ and the temperature at that time is T ₁ , the temperature gradient a ₀ during this time is calculated by equation (1).

[0015]

A ₀ = (T ₀ −T ₁ ) / (t ₀ −t ₁ ) (1) The data for every 5 minutes are sequentially taken as t ₀ to t ₆ and T _{0 to} T ₆ , and averaged over 30 minutes. When the gradient is calculated as the temperature change rate a, it is expressed by equation (2) (step S15).

[0016]

A = (1/6) [(T ₀ −T ₁ ) / (t ₀ −t ₁ ) +... + (T ₄ −T ₅ ) / (t ( ₄₋ t ₅ ) + (T ₅ −T ₆ ) / (t ₅ −t ₆ )] (2) The temperature change rate a calculated by the equation (2) is stored in the RAM 11 c (step S 15).

In step S16, the temperature change rate a stored in the RAM 11c and the T detected in step S12.
_0, t ₀ and appropriate temperature T _X, the time to reach the appropriate temperature When t _X, the time to reach the optimum temperature, of the formula (3) (step S16).

[0018]

T _x −t ₀ = (1 / a) (T _x −T ₀ ) (3) The time calculated by the equation (3) and the brand display (not shown) of the corresponding sales product indicate that. For example, "cooling" is displayed on the display 14 (step S17), and the remaining time until reaching the appropriate temperature is displayed on the display 14 while counting down the timer 11d (step S18).

In step S13, the temperature change rate is stored in the RAM 1
1c ($ 0) is (step S1
(3, branch N), and proceed to step 16 to calculate a time required to reach an appropriate temperature. Although the embodiment of FIG. 1 shows an example in which the number of product storage rooms is three, the present invention is naturally applicable to other cases, and two valves, a priority valve and a normal valve, are used. Although provided in each product storage room, it is also possible to provide one valve in each product storage room and make the functions of the priority valve and the normal valve depending on the opening degree.

[0020]

According to the first and second aspects of the invention, since the cooling rate of the product storage room is calculated and stored, the time until the temperature reaches the appropriate temperature can be calculated and displayed, and the customer feels discomfort. The operator can carry out a replenishment operation of the sold product while keeping in mind the time period during which the sold product can be sold, thereby increasing the sales.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when refilling a product for sale, the product storage room in which the product for sale is stored is preferentially cooled. Since cooling control that maintains the cooling state of the room can be performed, sales opportunities can be increased and sales can be expanded.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-3 Commodity storage room 4 Condensing unit 5-7 Evaporator 8-10 Thermistor 11 Control circuit 11a CPU 11b ROM 11c RAM 11d Timer 11e Interface 12 Setting device 13 Selection switch 14 Display V1-V6 Valve

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] In a vending machine for cooling a product storage room in which a product for sale is stored with a cooler, a temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of the product storage room, and a cooling rate per hour is calculated by the temperature detecting means. Cooling rate calculating means for calculating and storing a cooling time, a cooling time calculating means for calculating a cooling time based on a stored value of the cooling rate calculating means, a predetermined cooling set temperature and an output of the temperature detecting means, and a cooling time calculating means. Display means for displaying the output of the vending machine. 2. A vending machine for cooling a product storage room in which a product for sale is stored with a cooler, selects one of a plurality of product storage rooms and instructs cooling with priority over other product storage rooms. Priority instructing means, priority cooling means for preferentially cooling the selected product storage room to a predetermined cooling temperature based on the output of the priority instructing device, and detecting the temperature of the selected product storage room Temperature detecting means, a cooling rate calculating means for calculating and storing a cooling rate per time by the temperature detecting means, a storage value of the cooling rate calculating means, a predetermined cooling set temperature, and an output of the temperature detecting means. A cooling time calculating means for calculating a cooling time by the display means, a display means for displaying an output of the cooling time calculating means, and a cooling control means for controlling cooling of the other product storage room in which the priority cooling means is operating. That I have Control device for an automatic vending machine and butterflies.